The present invention relates to an improvement of a fishing rod of the type having a reel mounting member and grip members secured to an outer periphery of a rod stem member.
In a relatively slender fishing rod, as disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No.60677/1986, the reel mounting member and the grip member are secured to the outer periphery of a rod stem member to facilitate the gripping and holding of the fishing rod with hands.
This type of fishing rod will now be described with reference to FIG. 10. Fixed to the outer periphery of a relatively slender rod stem member 2 is a reel mounting member 3 for fastening a reel leg 6. Large-diameter grip members 4 and 5 for facilitating the gripping and holding of a fishing rod 1 with hands are fixedly provided in front and in rear of the reel mounting member 3.
In this fishing rod 1, the reel leg 6 of the reel (not illustrated) is fixedly mounted on the reel mounting member 3; the angling can be effected while grasping the large-diameter grip members 4 and 5.
This type of conventional fishing rod 1 is, however, constructed in such a way that end surfaces 3a and 3b of the reel mounting member 3 and end surfaces 4a and 5a of the grip members 4 and 5 respectively contiguous to the end surfaces 3a and 3b are formed on planes orthogonal to the rod stem member 2. Hence, this arrangement does not provide a large bonding area and sufficient bonding effects. If a big fish is jigged, the rod stem member 2 positioned in front and in rear of the reel mounting member 3 is bent, resulting in a defect of causing exfoliation of the bonding surfaces between the reel mounting member 3 and the grip members 4 and 5.
The thus separated bonding surfaces between the reel mounting member 3 and the grip members 4 and 5 causes further expansion of exfoliation. This produces defects of bringing about some breakages and damages, which spoil the appearance in terms of design.
Besides, stepped portions are formed between the reel mounting member 3 and the grip members 4 and 5 in the conventional fishing rod 1, and hence, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the fisher grasps the fishing rod 1 with a hand H in such a way that: the reel leg 6 fixed to the reel mounting member 3 is seized by a middle finger Hc and a third finger Hd; a forefinger Hb and a little finger He are placed on the front and rear grip members 4 and 5, while a thumb Ha is put on the front grip member 4; and from the grip member 5 a palm Hf is set in contact with a portion 3c opposite to the reel leg 6 of the reel mounting member 3. The fishing rod is thus manipulated.
In the case of grasping the fishing rod 1 for a long stretch of time in a state depicted in FIG. 10, some pains are felt in the middle finger Hc, the third finger Hd and also the palm Hf placed from the grip member 5 on the portion 3c opposite to the reel leg 6 of the reel mounting member 3. If intense, this brings about not only an obstacle to the fishing but also damages to the palm Hf, the middle finger Hc and the third finger Hd.